Russia deputy PM regrets traffic jams in Olympic London

LONDON, July 26 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has regretted traffic jams in Olympic London, which prevented him from attending the ceremony of hoisting the Russian flag in the Olympic Village.

“So far I have got only first impressions. Physical infrastructure is ready, everything impresses and is comfortable. As for organization, let us see, so far it is difficult to say something and give final assessments,” the deputy prime minister said.

“London is a huge city, a metropolitan city with heavy traffic and traffic jams. I think this is the main problem,” Kozak said. He said a small Sochi, that will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, will also face these problems, “but we will try to minimize them”.

“I have already got stuck in a traffic jam today, it takes an hour-and-a-half now to get from central London to the Olympic Village, and it’s is really very hard. One must get accustomed,” he said, adding that spectators and participants in the Olympic Games will face difficulties because of that. “Unfortunately, traffic jams prevented me from seeing the hoisting of the Russian flat in the Olympic Village. But I cannot manage these processes, and so I was late,” he said.

In reply to queries about prospects of the Russian national team at the Olympic Games that begin on July 27, Kozak said “we have all grounds to look to the future with optimism”. On the results of last year’s world championships, Russia is third leaving competitors far behind, he said.

Everything can happen in sports, but the Russian team is one of the strongest in the world, he said. According to Kozak, the Chinese team is the certain leader. The United State follows, while Russia is the third. The British national team follows Russia. “We wish success to the British team, but we will be supporting our team,” he summed up.